Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Modeling drift and fate of microplastics in the Baltic Sea

Researchers developed a hydrodynamic model to track the drift and accumulation of microplastics in the Baltic Sea, linking coastal emission sources to offshore accumulation zones and identifying key oceanographic processes that govern the fate of land-derived plastic pollution.

2022 Frontiers in Marine Science 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Mapping microplastic pathways and accumulation zones in the Gulf of Finland, Baltic Sea – insights from modeling

A hydrodynamic-particle tracking model of the Gulf of Finland found that rivers contribute 76% of microplastic inputs while wastewater treatment plants account for 24%, with most plastics accumulating within the gulf rather than drifting to the broader Baltic Sea.

2025 Frontiers in Marine Science 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Lagrangian tracking of river microplastics in the Mediterranean Basin

Researchers applied a Mediterranean river microplastic source scenario to Lagrangian dispersion simulations using high-resolution 3D current fields from the SYMPHONIE hydrodynamic model, tracking river MP inputs through the semi-enclosed Mediterranean Basin to quantify sources, transfers, and accumulation hotspots.

2025
Article Tier 2

Modeling the transport and accumulation of microplastics in the Gulf of Finland

Researchers used numerical simulations to model how microplastics are transported and accumulate across the Gulf of Finland in the eastern Baltic Sea. The model accounted for diffusion, beaching, resuspension, and biofouling, and found that microplastic accumulation patterns depend strongly on particle buoyancy. The results identify hotspots of microplastic accumulation in this semi-enclosed sea and can inform targeted cleanup efforts.

2023
Article Tier 2

Model uncertainties of a storm and their influence on microplastics / sediment transport in the Baltic Sea

Researchers used ocean circulation modeling to simulate how microplastics and sediment are transported in the Baltic Sea during storm events, identifying uncertainty in the models as a key challenge. Despite this, the approach helps predict where microplastics accumulate on the seafloor, which is otherwise expensive to measure directly.

2020 4 citations
Article Tier 2

From source to sink: part 1—characterization and Lagrangian tracking of riverine microplastics in the Mediterranean Basin

Researchers characterized riverine microplastics from source to coastal sink, using Lagrangian tracking to trace the transport of particles from inland rivers to coastal deposition zones and identifying key retention points in the system.

2024 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 9 citations
Article Tier 2

A coupled Lagrangian-Eulerian model for microplastics as vectors of contaminants applied to the Mediterranean Sea

A coupled Lagrangian-Eulerian ocean model was developed to simulate microplastics as vectors for adsorbed chemical contaminants in the Mediterranean Sea, tracking plastic particle trajectories alongside pollutant exchange dynamics. The model demonstrates that microplastics can transport contaminants across basin-scale distances and deliver them to organisms far from the original pollution source.

2022 Environmental Research Letters 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Transport and Behavior of Microplastics Emissions From Urban Sources in the Baltic Sea

Researchers compiled microplastic emission data for urban sources in the Baltic Sea region and modelled transport and deposition of polyethylene, polypropylene, and PET particles using 3D simulations. The study found that combined sewer overflow systems and untreated wastewater are major pathways for microplastics, with particle density strongly influencing transport trajectories and depositional patterns.

2020 Frontiers in Environmental Science 78 citations
Article Tier 2

Trans-polar drift-pathways of riverine European microplastic

Researchers used Lagrangian particle simulations to model the transport of buoyant microplastics from northern European rivers through the trans-polar drift to the high Arctic. The study found widespread dispersal along the Eurasian continental shelf, across the North Pole, and back into the Nordic Seas, with accumulation zones identified over multi-year timescales. The findings reveal how riverine microplastics from Europe can reach remote Arctic regions through ocean current pathways.

2022 Scientific Reports 58 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatiotemporal Variability of Microplastics in the Eastern Baltic Sea

Researchers documented spatiotemporal variability of microplastics in the eastern Baltic Sea over five years, finding concentrations ranging from 0.01 to 2.45 particles per cubic meter with patterns linked to proximity to urban areas and riverine inputs.

2022 Frontiers in Marine Science 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Modeling the Pathways and Accumulation Patterns of Micro- and Macro-Plastics in the Mediterranean

A basin-scale hydrodynamic model tracked plastic debris pathways in the Mediterranean Sea, showing that coastal currents concentrate plastics in the northwestern basin and that both riverine inputs and sea-based sources contribute substantially to the distribution hotspots observed at the surface.

2021 Frontiers in Marine Science 86 citations
Article Tier 2

Emission, Transport, and Deposition of visible Plastics in an Estuary and the Baltic Sea—a Monitoring and Modeling Approach

Researchers combined field monitoring and computer modeling to track how large micro- and mesoplastics (1–25 mm) travel from a German city through a river estuary and into the Baltic Sea, finding that estuaries and nearby beaches are major accumulation hotspots. The study shows that visible plastic particles are useful for modeling large-scale transport patterns, but cannot serve as reliable indicators for the far more abundant smaller microplastics below 1 mm.

2021 Environmental Management 35 citations
Article Tier 2

A Regional Lagrangian Model for Assessing the Dispersion of Floating Macroplastics from Different Source Types over the Iberian Peninsula in the North Atlantic Ocean

Researchers used a validated Lagrangian model to track floating macroplastics entering the North Atlantic from rivers, land-based sources, and maritime traffic along Spain's Atlantic coast, finding significant plastic concentrations near the coastline and at medium distances over a seven-year simulation period.

2023
Article Tier 2

River inflow of microplastics and their distribution in sea areas on the example of the southern Baltic Sea

Researchers tracked the flow of microplastics from rivers into adjacent sea areas in the Baltic region, quantifying concentrations at the river-sea interface. River inflow was confirmed as a major delivery pathway for marine microplastic contamination in enclosed coastal seas.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Indicators to assess temporal variability in marine connectivity processes: A semi-theoretical approach

Not relevant to microplastics — this is an oceanography study developing indicators to characterize temporal variability in marine connectivity for designing effective marine protected area networks in the Mediterranean.

2024 PLoS ONE 2 citations
Article Tier 2

The dynamics of microplastics and associated contaminants: Data-driven Lagrangian and Eulerian modelling approaches in the Mediterranean Sea

Researchers compared Lagrangian and Eulerian data-driven modelling approaches to simulate microplastic dispersal and associated organic pollutant transport in the Mediterranean Sea, finding that adsorption-desorption dynamics between microplastics and hydrophobic contaminants must be coupled for accurate pollution assessment.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 44 citations
Article Tier 2

Near-Surface Dispersion and Current Observations Using Dye, Drifters, and HF Radar in Coastal Waters

Not relevant to microplastics — this is a physical oceanography study using dye tracers and drifters to investigate near-surface contaminant dispersion mechanisms in coastal waters, focused on Ekman currents and Stokes drift for improving predictive transport models.

2024 Remote Sensing 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Uncovering microplastic surface transport pathways in the North Sea using Lagrangian coherent structures

This thesis used Lagrangian coherent structures — mathematical features of ocean flow — to identify the dominant pathways for microplastic transport across the surface of the North Sea. Understanding how ocean currents concentrate and move microplastics helps predict where marine life faces the highest exposure risk.

2019
Article Tier 2

Transport of Microplastics From the Daugava Estuary to the Open Sea

Researchers developed a three-dimensional Eulerian tracer model incorporating wave-induced transport and biofouling to simulate microplastic transport from the Daugava River estuary through the Gulf of Riga to the open Baltic Sea, using multilayer nested grids at up to 0.05 nautical mile resolution and validating results against observational data.

2022 Frontiers in Marine Science 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts of changing ocean circulation on the distribution of marine microplastic litter

Researchers modelled the impact of changing ocean circulation on the distribution of marine microplastics, examining how projected shifts in current patterns may alter the accumulation zones and transport pathways of plastic particles measuring less than 5 mm.

2017 Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management 112 citations
Article Tier 2

Simulation of the transport of marine microplastic particles in the Ionian Archipelago (NE Ionian Sea) using a Lagrangian model and the control mechanisms affecting their transport

Researchers used a Lagrangian particle-tracking model to simulate microplastic transport in the Ionian Archipelago, finding that oceanographic currents drove significant dispersal of particles released from coastal population centers, with implications for biodiversity in this ecologically sensitive part of the Mediterranean.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Pathways and Hot Spots of Floating and Submerged Microplastics in Atlantic Iberian Marine Waters: A Modelling Approach

Researchers combined a global ocean reanalysis model with a Lagrangian particle-tracking model to simulate the transport pathways and accumulation zones of both floating and submerged microplastics originating from southwestern Iberian coastal waters. The modelling approach identified key hotspots and transport corridors for microplastic pollution in Atlantic Iberian marine waters.

2022 Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantifying the Connectivity of Microplastic Pollution in the Texas–Louisiana Coastal Area

Using a Lagrangian particle-tracking model coupled to a 3D hydrodynamic simulation, researchers traced microplastic transport from Texas and Louisiana rivers and bayous to the Gulf of Mexico, finding that higher river flows reduced estuary retention time and increased coastal connectivity. The study identifies how hydrological variability controls microplastic distribution in this high-concentration region.

2024 ACS ES&T Water 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Inferring microplastics origins in the Mediterranean Sea by coupling modelling and in-situ measurements

Researchers combined Lagrangian particle-tracking modelling with in-situ manta-net trawls north of the Balearic Islands and along the Balearic Front in autumn 2019 to infer the origins of Mediterranean microplastics. They found that the area north of Mallorca acts as a temporary three-month retention zone for microplastics originating from the Northern Current and Gulf of Lion, while retention along the Balearic Front was less clear due to frontal dynamics and strong northerly winds.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 5 citations